Evolution / Genetics / Biology

Ancient cow statue found in Java

Residents of Siwal village in Sukoharjo regency, Central Java, found a headless cow statue on Monday presumed to date back to the ancient Mataram era.

Officials from the Sukoharjo Culture and Tourism Agency and the Culture and Education Agency measure and identify a headless cow statue on Tuesday found by residents of Siwal village, Baki district, Sukoharjo regency, Central Java [Credit: JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi]

Local resident Walidi uncovered the statue when he was digging holes in the soil to plant banana trees in his neighbour’s yard.

“Then I called some neighbours to [help] lift the statue because it was very heavy. We needed eight people to lift the statue,” Walidi told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

The statue is around 1m long, 45cm wide and 60cm tall.

Siwal village secretary Yusuf said ancient artefact collectors had attempted to locate the statue a few years ago. Some people dug in several locations across the village but to no avail, until the statue was unearthed on Monday.

“We will coordinate with the village chief and relevant institutions for the handling of this ancient object,” Yusuf said.

A headless cow statue is ready for inspection after being found by residents of Siwal village, Baki district, Sukoharjo regency, Central Java, on Jan. 8. The artefact is believed to be a relic of the Hindu Mataram era [Credit: JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi]

Sukoharjo Culture and Tourism Agency head Siti Laila said her agency would register the statue and report it to the Yogyakarta Cultural Heritage Preservation Agency.

Sukoharjo cultural heritage analyst Bimo Kokor Wijanarko said the statue was assumed to be a relic of the Hindu Mataram kingdom. The statue depicts Lembu Andini, a sacred animal believed to be the carriage of Shiva, he added.

Bimo suspected the statue had been stolen before and then buried, because the head was missing.

“A lot of animal-shaped ancient relics were found headless. Maybe this is because the heads of statues are very valuable,” he said.